The Christmas Dilemma
by Neanda
Summary: Makoto and Ami have been dating for eight months, and all is well with the world. But now Makoto faces a giant problem: what will she buy Ami for Christmas? Ami/Makoto, shoujo-ai, fluffy.


Hello everyone, and welcome to my first ever one-shot! I know that you guys enjoyed reading my other stories' first chapters, and you could say this is my apology for not updating for so long. I'm sorry! I'm still suffering heavily from writer's block, so writing is so difficult...

Anyway, this idea came to me after reading a few other Christmas one-shots, and thinking of the fact that I always have a hard time buying presents for others. Soon the story formed in my head, most of it overnight, and then I typed this up in less than 6 hours, which is impressive by my standards! I had a blast writing this, especially Minako's dialogue.

Now for the word list, as usual!

nani = what

ja ne = bye

moshi moshi = casual phone greeting

ne = a cute word that I use for effect but have no idea what it means

odangoes = dumplings

furo = bath

miko = shrine maiden

jinja = shrine

haiku = a form of poetry

Azabu Juuban = an area in Tokyo

-chan = suffix used when addressing friends

-san = suffix used when politely addressing people

-sama = suffix used when addressing people with great respect

no suffix = usually intimacy, rarely urgency

ojii = grandfather

Luna = Usagi's cat

Warning: this story contains female/female relationships, and the end is a lot of lovey-dovey sweetness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. All characters used in this work of fanfiction belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

**The Christmas Dilemma**

It was a few days before Christmas. The clouds overhead were thick, and the temperature was dropping as afternoon slowly transitioned into evening. For now the climate was mild and enjoyable, but soon the cold would become biting. There were signs of it everywhere. Blanketing Tokyo was a seemingly never-ending snowfall, only slightly disturbed by the gentle breeze. The snowflakes were large and thick, and the snow didn't show any signs of melting anytime soon.

This didn't deter the people of Tokyo, however. The streets were littered with people, shopping for Christmas presents or buying groceries for that extra special meal. In the stores, shoulders bumped and collided as people desperately struggled to buy everything they needed.

Makoto was looking at the display cases of one of these establishments, just as two women collided in the chaos and a small argument broke out. She sighed, shaking her head; the crowds were crazy this time of year. She inwardly cursed herself for being out here in the first place, when she should have had everything ready some time ago.

You see, Makoto had a dilemma. A Christmas dilemma. It wasn't anything simple, like 'What should I eat for Christmas?', or 'How should I decorate my house?' Oh no, Makoto was facing the most dire problem of all holidays.

She needed to buy her girlfriend a present.

Now, it wasn't like Makoto hadn't bought Ami a present before. They had been in a relationship for nearly eight months now. But this was different: it was their first Christmas as a couple. Buying Ami a gift in and of itself wasn't all that difficult; Makoto knew what Ami liked. The girl was studious and loved computers, but she also loved literature and romance novels. Her favourite food was a sandwich (much to Makoto's exasperation, but she preferred not to argue the point), but she loved all of Makoto's cooking (like all of their friends did).

In short, Makoto knew that whatever she gave Ami, the girl would be happy.

But that wasn't enough. She wanted to satisfy Ami more than that. Makoto held very strong feelings for the shy genius, and just giving her something she liked would not do. She wanted her gift to be something _good_; something she would be impressed by and would truly make her feel delighted on all levels.

Then there was the Christmas part of the dilemma. Christmas presents were different; they were meant to evoke special feelings. Christmas was _the_ time of happiness and giving! It wasn't any other holiday. There had to be something Christmas themed to it.

And this was where Makoto's progress screeched to a sudden stop: she couldn't find a good _Christmas_ present.

Oh, she had tried. After an unsuccessful brainstorming session at her apartment the week before, Makoto had taken decisive action and scoured the malls of Azabu Juuban for something, _anything_, that would fuel her imagination. It hadn't helped. After coming home tired, cold and grumpy from her trip, Makoto had tried something she'd only done a few times before:

She called her friends for advice.

* * *

First up was Minako. The bubbly blonde had been Makoto's best friend all through middle school and high school. At first Makoto was unwilling to call her; she had been fiercely self-sufficient for many years of her life, and she didn't like the idea of needing someone else's help. But this was an emergency situation.

So that evening, Makoto picked up her phone and dialled Minako's home. Within five seconds, she heard the tell-tale sound of a receiver being picked up on the other end. After quickly exchanging pleasantries with Minako's mother, there were a few moments of silence and distant noise as the woman called for her daughter. Then it sounded like the horn was wrangled from Aino-san's hands and a few seconds later, Minako's bubbly voice greeted her.

"Hi hi, Mako-chan!"

"Hey Minako-chan, what's up?" Makoto had already decided to ease into the conversation at first, steeling herself for what she'd have to ask of her best friend.

A giggle on the other end answered her question. "Ooh you know, I'm preparing for Christmas! I've already bought Rei's present – oh I wish you could have seen it, Mako-chan, before I wrapped it! It fits her so nicely!" the girl answered excitedly.

Minako and Rei were also a couple, and had been so for nine and a half months. Makoto always thought they complimented each other perfectly, and she was very happy for her friend.

"That's nice, Minako-chan! Hey, about presents…" Makoto took in a small breath of air before she continued. "Could you help me out with something?"

"Nani? What's wrong, Mako-chan?" The girl sounded genuinely interested; Makoto knew she was. She had known Minako for years, and knew she was equal parts helpful and gossip queen.

"Well…I uh…" Taking another deep breath, she threw it all out there before she could change her mind. "I don't know what to buy Ami!"

There was a gasp at the other end, and then the babble started: "What do you _mean_, you don't know what to buy? Mako-chan, you only have five days left!"

"Minak-"

"And wait, why do you need help with this? You know what she likes! You're _soul mates!_ Yes, yes, I know you're nervous, Mako-chan, but you just have to let your true love for her guide you!"

"Min-"

"Did you try the malls? That book store she always takes you to? The electronics store? The romantic shops? Come on Mako-chan, give me some information here!"

Makoto sighed. "I've tried everything, Minako-chan. I just don't know what to do! I don't want to disappoint her-" Minako scoffed into the phone, although her brunette friend didn't hear it. "-and I'm running out of options!"

"Hmm…" Minako's tone had suddenly turned thoughtful, _very_ thoughtful.

Back in her apartment, Makoto sweatdropped. '_Crud._'

"So, you found yourself in a dire love situation and called me! _Me_, Aino Minako, the Goddess of Love!" Minako proclaimed into the receiver, drawing out the word 'Love' on purpose. Over in the living room, her parents rolled her eyes. "Well, you have found the right person! Mako-chan, I know just where you need to go!"

Makoto hung her head for a moment. Although both of them had had pretty rotten luck in their love lives as teenagers, Minako had always taken to calling herself the 'Goddess of Love'. Once Rei had come into the picture that cinched it. Now Makoto (and all of their friends) knew that when Minako went into 'Goddess' mode, something was going to go either very wrong or very right. The second didn't happen too often.

But still, she was desperate, so she cleared her suddenly dry throat and asked, "Okay, where do I need to go?"

"Obviously your present has to be something _romantic_!" There was another giggle, and then Makoto could hear the sound of breathing. Minako had inched her face closer to the receiver and spoke in a low, conspiring voice, "There's a cute, really _hot_ shop in downtown Juuban that has everything you need! It sells all kinds of _tools_ for-"

"_Minako-chan!_" Makoto yelped into the receiver, her eyes comically wide.

"What? I'll have you know I bought Rei's present there, too-"

"_Minako!_" Makoto repeated, groaning this time. Using her free hand, she rubbed it over an increasingly weary face. "Look, I can't give her something like…like…_that!_"

Minako scoffed into the receiver again. "Why not?"

"Her _mother_ will be there!"

Suddenly, Minako's face sprouted an evil grin. "So does that mean you _would_ buy it if you were alone with her on Christmas?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, even though Makoto couldn't see her.

There was silence on the other hand as the brunette on the other end blushed. Then she coughed and managed to get out a, "Of course not!"

"Uh-huh, sure!" Minako slyly responded, drawing out the last word.

Makoto coughed and shook her head to get _that_ mental image out of her head. "S-so, something romantic?"

"Mmhm, make sure it's all romantic and _extra_ special!" The blonde giggled again.

"O-okay…well…I'll let you get on with what you were doing! See you next week!" Makoto blurted out quickly, now determined to end this embarrassing conversation as quickly as possible.

"Yup, see you later! Oh, and Mako-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"You didn't convince me."

Those were the last smug words that Makoto heard, before the Goddess of Love hung up the phone, cackled quietly, and made her way up the stairs and to her room. The blonde's parents sighed as one.

* * *

Usagi was next. After Makoto had taken some time to regain her composure, she dialled the other blonde of their group. A lot of people thought Usagi and Minako were twins, because of their blonde hair, their blue eyes, and their cheerful, open personalities. Makoto knew that wasn't entirely true, and she thought maybe Usagi could see something Makoto and Minako had both overlooked. That and the girl was amazingly good at making a person feel okay. After Makoto's encounter with the Goddess of Love, she needed that more than anything.

The phone was soon answered by Mamoru, Usagi's boyfriend. She had moved in with him a little over a year ago and as far as Makoto knew, they were still happy together. After exchanging the usual greetings, slower than she'd done with Minako's mother, Usagi was put on the phone.

"Moshi moshi, Mako-chan! How are you doing?"

"Hey, Usagi-chan! I'm fine, how about you?"

"Oh, I'm doing just great! Christmas is only five days away! I can't wait!" Usagi replied giddily.

"I thought so! I know you love Christmas."

"You know it!"

"So, did you buy Mamoru-san a present?"

"Of course!" Again the sound of breathing entered Makoto's ears, and Usagi whispered into the phone, "I bought him a really nice jacket! It's that hideous green color that he always used to wear!"

Makoto laughed. Ah, the green jacket. Apparently, when Usagi and Mamoru had only just started dating, Mamoru had favoured an ugly, pea green jacket at all times. Usagi (and to a lesser extent, Ami and Rei) had shared many stories of its horrifying appearances and how they had often tried to convince him to get rid of it.

"I love it, Usagi-chan! I'm sure he'll appreciate the joke."

"He better! I felt horrible just looking at it. I swear the clerk looked at me funny when I told him I wanted the thing."

Makoto laughed again, her earlier unease evaporating. "So Usagi-chan, I was hoping you could give me some advice."

"Nani? You want advice from me?" the blonde responded incredulously. Usually Ami was the go-to for advice of any kind.

"Yeah, about Ami's present."

There was a gasp from Usagi's end. "You mean you haven't bought Ami-chan a present yet?" she half-shrieked.

Makoto laughed nervously. "Yeah…that's right." She sighed, and then earnestly told her, "I don't know what to do, Usagi-chan! Do you have any ideas about what Ami might like?"

"Hmm…" There was a long moment of silence, then another one. When Usagi responded again, she sounded slightly dreamy. "Well, I know what every girl likes!"

"W-what's that, Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked her eagerly, although she was also afraid of the answer she dreaded was coming.

"_Chocolate!_ A girl's best friend is chocolate! Ooh, and don't forget the ice cream! And be sure to top it with a double chocolate fudge…"

The blonde's rant continued, blissfully unaware of the real world. Usagi's mind had wandered into a delicious fantasy of chocolate fountains, ice cream stands at every corner, and never-ending food courts. In other words, Usagi was lost. Makoto sighed at the realization.

"So uh, Usagi-chan?"

"…milkshakes and candy and…"

"Usagi-chan?"

"…caramel topping, oh and don't forget the bunny-shaped odangoes…"

"_Usagi-chan!_"

"Nani? What is it, Mako-chan?"

Makoto felt relieved. Maybe now that Usagi was back from her Wonderland, she could help her.

"So is there anything else I can give to Ami?"

"Oh! Well, I'm sorry, but you know I'm not an expert on all the things Ami-chan likes! I bet Luna can use a computer better than me!"

Makoto's shoulders slumped slightly. "I guess you have a point there, Usagi-chan. Ami-chan is the only one of us who knows how those work."

"Exactly, and reading those boring books of hers isn't something I do either! I still believe she should try reading a comic book!"

The brunette laughed heartily at the image of her girlfriend reading one of Usagi or Rei's comic books: her reading glasses cutely perched on the tip of her nose, her blue eyes scrunched in concentration, and mentally listing the slew of physics laws being ignored.

"Maybe someday, eh Usagi-chan? Well, thanks for helping me. See you next week, ne?"

"Definitely, Mako-chan! I wouldn't miss your cooking for the world!"

"I'm glad to hear it. Go ahead and run back to Mamoru-san – I'm sure I've kept you from him for far too long."

"Always, Mako-chan! Oh that reminds me, I need to buy some mistletoe! There's nothing better than a mistletoe kiss from Mamo-chan!"

"I'll leave you to it, then. Ja ne!"

"Ja ne, Mako-chan!"

Moments later a surprised Mamoru found himself in the arms of his girlfriend, smothered in a big kiss. The dinner he had been in the middle of preparing before Usagi spun him around for the kiss, was soon forgotten.

* * *

So while Usagi's contribution to her quest was entertaining, it was by no means bringing Makoto any closer to her objective. The next, and final, person on her list was Rei. Minako's girlfriend was kind, level-headed (unless provoked by Usagi or Minako) and she was a miko at the Hikawa Jinja. Makoto thought that, surely, Rei of all people would be able to help her out with this problem.

So she rang the shrine, and a short moment later she was greeted by the miko's grandfather.

"Well hello, Mako-chan! How are you doing?"

"Good evening, Ojii-sama. I'm very well, thank you for asking."

"I must say, you're very well-mannered on the phone. All of Rei's friends are so cute and polite to their elders!" Rei's grandfather half-squealed, nodding in approval.

Makoto sweatdropped, but laughed at the same time. Any other girl could have found the priest's flirtatious banter intimidating, but not Makoto. She had known him as long as she had known Ami, Usagi and Rei: 9 months. It was only because of this that she knew what to expect of the old man. He liked cute girls, and often encouraged them to become a miko and work at his shrine. Sometimes male visitors were a victim to this as well. But everyone who knew the elder knew he was harmless, and didn't mean any disrespect. Despite not being religious, Makoto still respected him greatly for his spiritual strength and cheerful nature.

"I hope you and your other friends will visit the shrine sometime, Mako-chan! Rei doesn't let me flirt as much as she used to, and I do miss seeing all of you helpful girls around the grounds-"

Suddenly Makoto heard Rei's voice in the background. "Ojii-chan, stop bothering Mako-chan!" Some muffled sounds later, Rei was in control of the receiver. "Good evening, Mako-chan! I hope that lecher didn't keep you long."

"I'm fine, Rei-chan. We all know he's harmless."

At that, Rei snorted in a very un-lady like manner. "You're too kind to him! Anyway, how are you?"

Makoto smiled. Rei knew she was calling for a reason, and intended to get to the bottom of it. The girl always got to the point quickly if needed. The psychic probably didn't even need to read too much into it; both Ami and Minako had told Makoto several times that she was easy to read.

"Well, I'm trying to find a Christmas present for Ami…but I'm not having much luck. Can you give me any advice?"

Rei let out a small, contemplative noise, stroking her chin in thought. "Finding a gift for Ami-chan? Well, we both know her likes and hobbies. What exactly are you having trouble with?"

'_Good,'_ Makoto thought, '_We're making progress now!_' "Well," she started, "I want to find her something special. I know she'll like almost anything, but I want her to be really happy. I can't give her jewelry, because that's something we only do on our anniversaries. And it has to have something to do with Christmas, too!"

The miko on the other end was silent for a moment, and then she responded softly, "Mako-chan?"

"Yes, Rei-chan?"

"Don't you think that…you're being too hard on yourself?"

Makoto blinked, confused. "Nani?"

"You're right, you know; Ami-chan will be happy with whatever you give her. Maybe you're thinking this through too much."

The brunette was gobsmacked. _Was_ she overthinking it? But, still…Christmas was special! It was special in a way that no other holiday was! Eventually she responded with an unsure, "I…don't know."

Rei smiled into the receiver. She knew Makoto would eventually understand. "If you still want some advice on a present, I suggest something that will last her a long time. Something she can come back to and look at, to look back on the memory."

Makoto's jaw dropped. "Wow…Rei-chan, that was very deep."

Rei chuckled. "It's what I do!" she responded haughtily, showing the fire in her attitude, "But seriously, I think that's your best bet."

Her friend picked up her jaw and nodded resolutely. "I think I understand now, Rei-chan. Thank you so much!"

"Anytime, Mako-chan. Ja ne, and good luck!"

"Ja ne, Rei-chan! I'll make you an extra portion of my dumplings next week!"

Suddenly Rei began salivating. The mere thought of Makoto's cooking sent her taste buds into rapt anticipation. "I'll definitely be there!"

The raven-haired miko hung up the phone, and turned around to face her grandfather. He smiled up at her proudly.

"You did very well there, Rei. I'm proud of you!"

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Ojii-chan."

Then his smile turned into a slightly perverted one, and he raised his thick, grey eyebrows. "So, did I hear something about extra dumplings?"

Rei's eyes widened. "_Ojii-chan!_"

* * *

Makoto wandered back into the book store that her girlfriend frequented (and by extension, so did she). She walked between the rows of books slowly, looking at the titles despondently. Although Ami rarely indulged in her thirst for knowledge and romance books – mostly due to an innate modesty that Makoto thought was totally adorable – the girl had built up quite an extensive book collection over the years. Although she wasn't very concerned about buying the girl a book she didn't like (they _had_ been going out for 8 months), she worried that Ami might already own whatever book she gave her.

Although Rei's advice had helped tremendously and had renewed her confidence, Makoto still hadn't been successful. The day after she had set off into the city with renewed vigor, only to fail yet again. With every day that passed, Christmas loomed closer, and she soon found herself agonizing over what to do. That was, until some advice had come her way from an unexpected source. Makoto stopped and recounted the conversation; it had been brief, but it had helped.

* * *

"_You look very nervous. Is something wrong?"_

"_Hmm? Oh, no…"_

"_Come now, I've seen your distraction. Can you tell me what's wrong?"_

"… _I'm trying to find Ami a present."_

"_I thought that was what this was about."_

"_I just…don't want to disappoint her. She's very special to me and I don't want our relationship to end!"_

"_I understand, I do. Would you like some advice from me?"_

"_R-really? Uh, sure…"_

"_Think about it for a moment. What's the very thing that has constantly made her happy? Her relationship with you."_

"… _Me…"_

"_Give her something from the heart. Show her how much she means to you."_

"_I…yeah, I can do that. I care about her so much."_

"_I know you do."_

* * *

It had been an odd conversation, but it had taken her another step closer to solving her Christmas dilemma. That had been yesterday. Now Makoto was back on the prowl, and she was determined to succeed for her Ami! She looked at where she had ended up in the book store, and noticed she was in the romance section. She smiled.

'_Very fitting! Now I just have to find something Ami likes._'

The brunette scanned the shelves for a while, carefully observing each book's title for something Ami would like and was unlikely to own. After seven more minutes, Makoto had found her match. She eagerly scanned the book of haiku love poetry for a moment before deciding that this was her best bet. Spurred on by her discovery, she purchased it before it could magically disappear and exited the store with a glowing smile.

The first stage of the Christmas gift had been completed! Now all she needed was a personal touch: something to show Ami how much she was loved, and hopefully something that reflected Christmas. Makoto began her scouring of the mall anew, this time on the hunt for something specific.

After another six shops, Makoto found herself in a Christmas-themed gift shop. '_There're plenty of Christmas things here…now what do I do?_' she mused.

She spent two minutes looking around the shop until she saw it. There it was, the perfect instrument for her love. She stepped over to it and looked down at it with great interest, in deep thought. Had Ami seen her girlfriend's mind at that moment, she would have been proud of the way the normally brash brunette worked out a plan. She stood there for another minute, contemplating the idea, fitting all the pieces together. She looked to the side and noticed another item, one that would also help her in her plan.

When the girl left the shop shortly afterwards, she couldn't help the giddy feeling in her stomach. '_This is going to be great!_'

* * *

Christmas Day had arrived. There was a thick layer of fresh, crunchy snow on every street. The skies were clear now though, and the ensuing cold made people flee the pavement in favour of the warmth of their homes.

In an apartment in Azabu Juuban, close to the shopping center, Makoto was getting ready for the evening. She had spent a good few minutes agonizing over whether or not she should have called Minako for outfit advice, but had decided against it in the end. The prime reason was that, well, Minako was busy. And if the phone conversation last week had been any indication, Makoto did _not_ want to get between her and her miko. Besides, the brunette felt it would show her affection more if she came up with an outfit herself.

The preparations were quick and plentiful. She spent over half an hour mixing and matching what she considered the finest pieces of clothing in her wardrobe. When she had finally decided, she hopped into the furo and emerged squeaky-clean. She was also certain that she had brushed her teeth twice (the mix of anxiety and excitement did strange things to her) and had put on just the right amount of perfume to smell subtle and nice, not overwhelming.

Now it was time to depart. Makoto slipped into her chosen outfit for tonight: a dark green shirt with an unzipped, dark blue vest over it (Ami had bought it for her once). The lower half of her ensemble consisted of a pair of dark blue jeans and black dress shoes. Finally she put her rose earrings into place, fastened her ponytail with a green ribbon (a change from her usual green bauble hair tie) and slipped her necklace into place. The necklace was very special to Makoto: she had given it to Ami for their three month anniversary. The great thing about it was, it was actually divided into two pieces patterned like a wave. She had given Ami the other half to wear.

Before leaving, she picked up her wrapped present delicately and grabbed a bouquet of both red and white chrysanthemums. She was confident that Ami had read up on a little of flower language, and was hoping she would love it. Red chrysanthemums conveyed love, while the white variety symbolized truth and loyalty.

Once she reached the bottom of the apartment, she immediately stepped into the taxi she had reserved two weeks earlier. During the ride over and all the way up to the floor where Ami and her mother lived, she made sure that her flowers and present weren't harmed in any way. Finally, though, she arrived at their door and knocked gently, taking a deep breath.

The door soon opened to reveal a blue-haired woman in her late forties. She smiled warmly at the visitor.

"Good evening, Makoto-chan. Come in!"

"Thank you, Saeko-san. Merry Christmas!"

Mizuno Saeko, Ami's mother, was an accomplished doctor at Azabu General Hospital. Saeko was fond of Makoto, much to the brunette's relief, and had welcomed her into her home almost instantly. To Makoto, an orphan since childhood, it was a welcome addition to her life. Ami had done more than just give her someone to love.

"Merry Christmas to you as well! Let me call Ami. She could hardly wait for you to arrive."

Makoto laughed while taking off her winter coat and outdoor shoes. "I'm glad!"

As Saeko walked back into the living room, presumably to call Ami, Makoto took another deep breath and smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her clothes one more time. '_Okay, I can do this. Keep cool, Makoto._'

"Mako!"

She smiled; just hearing that voice, especially when it called her name like that, made her feel happy. She looked toward the source, a blue-haired girl that looked a lot like her mother standing in the doorway to the living room. She was dressed casually: a white blouse, a light blue sweater, blue pants and cute indoor slippers (to Makoto anyway, and of course anything that Ami wore was cute to her).

"Ami!" She embraced Ami and they shared a brief kiss, before she was led to the couch in the living room. "You look wonderful!"

"So do you!" Ami replied, looking her girlfriend up and down in appreciation. She knew Makoto often dressed for comfort rather than fashion, so to see the taller girl dressed so ravishing was a sight to behold. It was obvious that Makoto had put a lot of thought into this. Then her eyes locked on to the bouquet that her girlfriend presented.

"Here, these are for you."

"They're beautiful! Oh Mako, you shouldn't have."

Makoto grinned. "Of course I did! But there's more."

Setting the bouquet aside for a moment, she handed her Christmas present to Ami. It had been wrapped in festive green wrapping paper, decorated with Christmas trees and little stars.

Ami smiled at her. "Thank you so much, Mako! This means a lot to me."

Makoto watched as her girlfriend proceeded to unwrap her gift, careful and precise as expected. Her whole body fluttered with anticipation.

The genius gasped at what the wrapping revealed. Resting in her hands was a thick book, titled 'Collection of Love Haikus, by Tanaka Shinji'. But what really made it perfect, the thing that made her heart sing, was the mistletoe. It was a heart made of mistletoe, twined together carefully and secured with a thin, red string. Wrapped around it, cradling it, was a red ribbon that ended with a small, neat bow.

For a moment Ami always broke into tears. Then she gasped out, "Mistletoe…" Suddenly Makoto's hand was under her chin, and she looked up into soft, loving green eyes. "Makoto?"

"I love you, Ami. Merry Christmas."

She moved her hand to the girl's cheek and then leaned forward to give her the most heartfelt kiss of her life. Soon Ami had carefully put the gift aside and had wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck, kissing back vigorously. When the kiss was over, the blue-haired girl nuzzled her head into the crook of the taller girl's neck. Then she happily uttered,

"I love you too, Mako. Merry Christmas."

Makoto smiled brightly, hugging her girlfriend to her. Mentally she thanked her friends for their advice: it had all proven very helpful.

"_You're soul mates!"_

"_There's nothing better than a mistletoe kiss!"_

"_I suggest something that will last her a long time."_

Then she thanked her unexpected rescuer, the one who had given her the last bit of help she needed.

"_Show her how much she means to you."_

Over Ami's head, she noticed Saeko standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching inconspicuously so as not to ruin her daughter's moment. Makoto gave her a grateful smile.

Saeko just smiled back and winked.

* * *

Merry Christmas, everyone!


End file.
